


Vacation

by captainmeow



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:28:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22993198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainmeow/pseuds/captainmeow
Summary: "Are you taking me to dinner like this?" It was strangely difficult to maintain an unaffected air."Oh no. I'm taking you to bed.""Excuse me?"
Relationships: Rose Lalonde/Aradia Megido
Comments: 7
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

"Remind me why I agreed to this," Rose sighed. Heliotropic eyes swept across the room, brushed gently past the troll's body in front of her, and settled on a grand window pane. The room itself was modest, simply furnished with tasteful wooden dressers, cushioned benches, and what must have been an antique for a bed--though it was dressed with plenty of plush and elegant coverings; but the view outside was grand, befitting a king, with chiseled crags, decorated with swaths and burgeoning pillows of snow, huddling all around their lodging. The sky blushed against muted blues which faded into darkening greys as day slipped down into the obstructed horizon. A fireplace, newly kindled by her companion, crackled and snapped to the side, drawing her attention away for only a moment, before her eyes pulled back to the window.

It was cozy here. However Aradia had found it was a mystery, but it was undeniably charming and a pleasantly peaceful change of pace. It was almost relaxing enough to coax Rose away from thoughts of responsibilities and visions, and let herself be lulled to sleep.

Sleep had been fleeting and tensions had sharpened the edges around her eyes and lips, and Rose, ever inclined to keep her true feelings to herself, had resolutely shouldered her burdens with a refusal to divulge what was so evidently gnawing away at her well-being. She had spent longer hours, isolated, strategizing and outlining tactics and possibilities. Hours sometimes blurred into days. Sometimes no one would see her for weeks. Once, an entire month had passed before she had been chased out of her room by haunting loneliness, fatigue, and fear. Visions plagued her every moment, sleep offered no mercy, and even attempts to mindlessly scour the internet or lose herself in music had failed to even distract her.

Here, it was quiet. It was almost too quiet. By mere change in environment alone, Rose found herself considerably calmed, content to take in the sights and muse over how such majestic feats of nature had come to pass. But in the back of her mind, an unseen foe skulked about, waiting to pounce on her and shackle its heavy, ominous urgings on her once more.

As if to keep her deafened to those intuitions, Aradia straightened herself from over a low table and turned to her.

"Don't you want to unpack your things?"

They were to vacation here for a week. Rose liked to think herself a practical woman, sensibly packing plain and comfortable clothing, and only a handful of necessary toiletries. Then there was her phone, laptop, thick stack of notes, reading manuscripts, assorted writing utensils, and a cute book-light that John had gifted her at some point. Of course, she was ostensibly on vacation for the purpose of leaving those things behind, and to partake of leisurely activities in order to refresh herself; and so, to avoid revealing the tenacious obsession that had followed her even in her luggage, Rose decided it was better to remain packed.

"I'd rather keep my things in one place. It prevents forgetting anything when it's time to leave."

Aradia clicked her tongue against her teeth and made a face. "I suppose so, but it makes it more difficult to fully immerse yourself in the surroundings."

"They are worthy surroundings," Rose remarked lightly, stepping up to the window. She pressed her palms onto the windowsill and watched the last of dusk fade away into a starlit backdrop. Behind her, Aradia moved to the fireplace, deftly poking and stoking it with the iron tools before adding another log from a box nearby.

"Would you like to eat soon?" Glowing eyes, molten gold, weighed on her, as the hearth puppeteered shadows along the floor and cast more along the walls.

"I should--"

Rose caught herself before she was able to say, "go back to work." This was a vacation. Why was it so difficult to remember that? Perhaps she had always struggled to embrace what presented itself as pointless idleness.

"Yes, you should," Aradia quickly finished before any amendments could be made. "Steak or fish?"

Rose blinked and swiveled away from the window. Crouched by the flames, Aradia looked something like one of the creatures described in a mythological tome, thick and dark tendrils draped around her peering face and hanging down to the floor, coiled horns perched atop her head, limbs and form masked by layered clothing and cloak, claws peeking out from extensive sleeves. A relief that Aradia was a friend. And she was one of the more kempt and attractive trolls.

Scratch that last thought.

"Do trolls care for fish? I would be fine with steak if that better suits your taste. Although, I must ask, does this establishment serve anything less... expensive?"

A rich laugh bubbled in Aradia's throat. "Ah, it isn't your average fare, is it? But it is included in the price." Light licked at her teeth as she then grinned. "I do enjoy their steak. They say its taste is from 'marbling.'"

"Fat," Rose remarked approvingly. Fat made food taste much better, and anyone who disagreed was no one at all.

"I like fat in my food, then," Aradia stated, brushing soot and heat off of her knees as she stood. "Shall we go, then?"

"Why not."

Rose managed two steps towards the door before she had to brace herself against the bed frame. Solid wood supported her long enough for Aradia to reach her and snake an arm around her torso.

"You need more rest," the other female murmured, scolding her like Rose had often imagined a more caring mother than her own would, and pride rattled in her chest at that as she exhaled.

Rose willed her voice steady. "Thank you, Aradia, but I'm not a child."

"If you were, you'd be easier to lift," came a dry retort, one which Rose thought tactless at first until, as the troll hefted her into both arms like a bride, the meaning became more literal.

"Are you taking me to dinner like this?" It was strangely difficult to maintain an unaffected air.

"Oh no. I'm taking you to bed."

"Excuse me?"

Aradia offered nothing more other than a toothy smirk. Rose felt a warmth flood her cheeks and stomach, trickle down her arms and legs, and taper off into her feet. She had never been this close to Aradia--never smelled the unmistakable scent of sandalwood and honey from her skin and hair--never once had remotely considered the two of them being intimate in any capacity. So why was it now, on assuredly platonic terms, when the other female laid her on silken and lush bedding, that she imagined romantic fantasies of heated touches and sensual whispers in the dark?

"You should go to dinner without me," Rose nearly demanded, her throat suddenly dry.

"Why? I could have it brought here."

"No!"

At her exclamation, Aradia dropped a puzzled look onto her, and Rose flushed despite herself.

"Are you alright, Rose?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I apologize for the outburst. I, uh, never have been one to eat in the bedroom," Rose explained hastily, certain her lies were glaringly transparent. She had eaten in her room countless times, dozens in just the past month, though she relied on Aradia's ignorance of that. The troll seemed to consider it well enough. Perhaps the ruse was successful.

"Is this a human quirk?"

"I cannot attribute this preference to my entire species, but it is not unusual. Meals are ordinarily held in a designated room--a dining room."

Hopeful for a crisis averted, Rose relaxed enough to realize that the bed was far more comfortable than its appearance suggested. It was entirely possible to drift off into decadent slumber, and she entertained the notion seriously as her eyes fluttered downwards slowly.

At her side, Aradia hummed to herself, apparently mulling over Rose's words as if it was a novel taste worth savoring. After a stretch of quiet mostly undisturbed except for the occasional pop of the fire, Aradia shifted away from the bed and lowered herself onto a nearby seat. Dusted by moonlight, her reflection a pensive ghost against the glass, she studied the snowy peaks that stood with their noses pointed to clear heavens. From beneath eyelashes heavy with sleep, Rose regarded her long enough to find the dark curls around Aradia's face an unwanted obstruction to an even more beautiful view, before she blinked herself fully into sleep, her breathing then soft, slow, and deep.


	2. Chapter 2

Morning brought the wan light through the window just in time for breakfast: thick slices of french toast drizzled with honey, topped with fresh strawberries and a sizable portion of whipped cream. Dainty cups of tea, along with a porcelain kettle, complemented the meal. With everything presented on a silvery tray, it reminded Rose of a romance movie she had once watched with John. "Silly and cheesy!" he had declared. Given that they were barely teens, she had agreed. Now, having matured enough to admit to herself what she liked, Rose was willing to reconsider that verdict.

The comforter and sheets whispered greetings to her as she pulled herself up to sit. Rose pinched sleep from her eyes and tried to recall when she had burrowed under the covers, as her last memories of the previous day had revolved around Aradia. Speaking of which, where was the troll?

Rose swung her legs out from under the blankets and slipped onto her feet. A quick gander about the room yielded no signs of her vacation partner, but an empty plate on the table did indicate that Aradia had been here and had eaten already. Her own stomach growled and twisted at that observation, reminding her that she had missed dinner yesterday evening.

She made quick work of breakfast and downed the cup of tea, pleasantly surprised that it was still warm. By now, a chill began to infiltrate her clothes--a hoodie, skirt over leggings, and boots somehow not enough--and she glanced wistfully at the fireplace that Aradia had maintained so well. Ashes slept over dull coals, any signs of fire long gone.

"Aradia?" Her voice echoed faintly in the room, and Rose took a moment to pluck a scarf from her suitcase and wrap it snugly around her chin and shoulders, before she peered out the window as if expecting the troll to be visible on a glistening mound of snow.

Abruptly, the door swung open, Aradia dressed warmly in a fuzzy red robe, with her hair bundled in a matching towel. "You're awake," she remarked with a smile, yellow eyes gentle in the white light of morning.

"I was about to go looking for you," Rose grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. "Did you have a shower?"

"A bath," Aradia corrected mildly as she padded across the room and delved into the drawers. "This site has a hot springs. I think you would like it."

Rose swallowed thickly and turned away as Aradia finished rummaging through her clothes and began to disrobe. They were both females, but there was no shame in some tactful respect!

"What makes you think I'd like it?"

"It's warm, and you look cold," Aradia replied, her voice muffled as she pulled a top over her head. A wine-colored sweater, Rose would later notice. "What do you think?"

"What do I think of what? That it's warm, or that I look cold?"

"How this fits."

Rose faced Aradia again, relieved to see the troll fully dressed now, clawed fingers gesturing to a pair of jeans. Rose had learned long ago that jeans were not as common in troll fashion as she might have expected, but she had given Aradia a pair for Christmas, and plainly they had been well received. The denim hugged the curves of Aradia's hips and calves, seeming snug but not uncomfortably tight.

"A seemly outfit," Rose managed to say, blindsided by thoughts of running her hands along the fabric of the jeans until they reached Aradia's--

"You have good taste," the troll laughed disarmingly. It sounded like bells in a bubble, a sound that could ring for a long while before Rose would tire of it.

"My eye for aesthetics surprises even me at times." While Rose hoped she sounded wry and sociable, she felt the need to excuse herself again. If this was how her mind was after one day, the week would be longer than an eternity. "Would you mind showing me where these springs are?"

"Of course."

The sun was high in the sky by the time Rose finished her bath. The hot springs had been a double edged sword, the waters pleasantly hot and gentle, but all Rose could think about was how Aradia must have looked in the water, poised and flushed and bare except for a bathing suit--undoubtedly red, like most of her clothing. Rose dried off and dressed herself in a hurry once back in their room, unwilling to have commented on much more than "It was very hot," when Aradia inquired about her experience.

After the bath came lunch: bread bowls filled with sausage and root vegetables, and more tea, with a small dessert of figs coupled with honey and more whipped cream. After the main course, Rose endured idle chatter with Aradia while watching the troll suck honey and fig juice off of her fingers, careful not to be overzealous in doing the same. She hid her blush behind several cups of tea until her bladder threatened to burst, and promptly excused herself to use the restroom.

What was wrong with her? She had never given Aradia much of a passing thought before. This trip had been a surprise, a sudden whim, an excuse to escape the others' worrisome looks and questions after her solitude. Why was she suddenly unable to contain these fanciful attentions to lust?

When Rose returned to their room yet again, she found Aradia on the bed, legs curled beneath her, a substantial book cradled against her chest. As literature was a weakness of hers, Rose almost involuntarily shuffled to the bed so that she could examine the subject of the book.

"What are you reading?"

"A mixture of troll history combined with speculative fiction." Aradia turned the spine of the book at an angle so that Rose could read it, though her understanding of the troll language was laughably small.

"I'll take your word for it."

Aradia blinked at her before realization spread across her face. "Of course. Let me translate for you. The title is 'An Empress to All But Her Lover.'"

Rose arched a brow. "I didn't know you cared for romance, Aradia."

"Ordinarily, I'm not. It was recommended to me," Aradia chuckled. Her fingers pulled the book shut and she placed it to the side. "Do you enjoy it?"

"Romance?" Rose pursed her lips and snatched a glance out the window. "No less than anyone else, I suppose. I haven't thought about it for some time." She resolutely refused to face Aradia when the troll leaned in towards her.

"Aren't you and Kanaya in a quadrant?"

The unexpected question made Rose sputter. "I wasn't aware that sort of thing interested you!"

"I like to be informed," Aradia stated with unmasked mirth.

"Nosy," Rose countered, but then she softened. "No. Kanaya..." She breathed deeply. "Kanaya had expressed mutually fond sentiments, but thought it best we didn't engage in any quadrants for the time being."

"Odd," was all Aradia said, fingers looped around her ankles as she leaned back again. Rose hummed an agreement, and they fell into a silence again for a while.

"Sollux said something similar," Aradia began again, wrenching Rose's attention from the window, though the troll continued to regard it almost fondly. "He and I were very close for some time. One day, he told me that I seemed content to never grow any closer, and that the thought was such a deterrent to him that he could no longer entertain me in the relationship."

"I'm sorry," Rose offered tentatively, but Aradia dismissed the apology with a wave.

"It's nothing to be sorry about. We're still on good terms. It's been long enough that I've had some time to identify what went wrong, and what I really want out of such relationships anyways."

"I see."

"I don't mean to bore you with such personal details," Aradia chuckled quietly. "I only meant to say that I understood--you and Kanaya."

Rose made no reply at that beyond a nod, her eyes trailing back to the window as she engaged in a bout of introspection.

What did she want out of relationships? Joining two people was complicated enough for humans without the concepts of troll quadrants in the middle of it all. What quadrant had Aradia even been in? The troll seemed composed enough that it couldn't have been black. That left pale and flushed--or were those the right terms? Rose considered herself competent, but quadrants suddenly intimidated her self-confidence.

"Rose, have you ever dated before Kanaya?"

"Is this trip an excuse to exchange feminine gossip?" Rose snorted, but she lowered herself onto the bed near Aradia and reclined onto an elbow, eyes falling on the other female's curious face. An endearing face, a thought Rose crushed immediately.

"No. Human males tend to intellectually mature at a slower rate than females, and I was never intimately satisfied with the boys I knew growing up beyond solid friendships. And, well, I knew of only one other girl, and she had her eyes set on someone else. Since then, life has simply been too busy to play the field, so to speak. Kanaya was an exception, but you've now been briefed on that."

"Interesting," Aradia said against a palm that had wandered up against her chin.

"Why do you ask?"

"Don't you ever get the urge to compare yourself with someone else?"

"I..." Rose faltered for a moment, deliberating the meaning behind her companion's words, before settling on, "I suppose that's natural."

"A hand-wrought work is not innately invaluable," Aradia said slowly, eyes locking with Rose's then, her gaze expectant.

Her eyebrows climbed higher on her forehead, and Rose studied Aradia's expression for a moment before replying, "Are you making a statement or a challenge?"

Aradia barked out a laugh. "Challenging you is pointless, Rose. I would like to hear your opinion, however."

"On what, exactly? Man-made inventions and technologies have irrefutably benefited and revolutionized life as we know it. No doubt troll society also has experienced such accomplishments. There's not much of an opinion to be had outside of the specifics."

"But that's just it," Aradia grinned. "The specifics. But why discuss infrastructure when there are more tenuous subjects such as the constructs of relationships?"

"Are you suggesting relationships are artificial?"

"More that they are what we make of them."

"You sound almost glib," Rose deadpanned, but she pursed her lips in thought all the same.

"Feel free to shift the subject to whatever you'd like." Aradia unraveled herself from her seat and pushed off of the bed to pour herself a cup of tea. Rose rolled over and gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment, then moved to do the same.

"I like this tea," she remarked after a long sip. "But Aradia, I feel as if you are suggesting something that I am failing to catch, and it irritates me."

"It wouldn't be much fun if you didn't come to the same conclusion on your own," Aradia responded cryptically, hiding a smile behind her drink.

Rose set her cup down onto the table and narrowed her eyes at the troll. "So it is a challenge."

"If you'd like."

"Suppose I take the bait. We antagonize over the finer details of relationships. Why? Does this pertain to personal interests of yours?"

Aradia shrugged at her with infuriating indifference. "It's nice to talk, and you are intelligent. I thought to--what is your expression? Pick your mind."

"Am I a representative for the humans, now?" Rose humored rhetorically with sarcasm. "Surely you could read about these philosophies in some scholar's texts."

"Oh, of course, but I don't know any of them."

"And you know me?" Rose quipped lightly, but her breath caught in her throat when Aradia fixed a look she had never seen on the troll's face before. It was alarmingly wolfish, piercing into her with a hunger.

"I'd like to."

There was no misinterpreting it. Aradia was flirting with her. Rose rooted her gaze into her cup as if she'd find an appropriate response at the bottom of it.

"Is that what this trip is about?" Rose asked quietly, suddenly feeling bewildered and small. She was afraid of the answer--more afraid when Aradia didn't give her one and only laughed.

Afternoon dishes were soon cleared away and replaced by dinner. Dense cuts of grilled meats were arrayed on a polished platter beside baked potatoes slathered in butter and accompanied by hearty loaves of olive-studded bread. Crystal tumblers offered copious servings of wine, deep and rich red, with a tall bottle ready for refills. It was the first real dinner Rose had seen in weeks, and she ate everything with great appreciation, intent to never acknowledge Aradia's entertained stare across the table all the while.

It was only after her second full glass of wine that Rose realized there had been no conversation. Aradia had finished her plate of food and now rested her chin on clasped hands suspended by elbows, eyes sparkling in amusement with each flicker of light cast from the fireplace beside them. Dark curls nestled neatly against the curves of her jaw, and the troll must have residual wine on her lips because the flesh there seemed redder than usual. As it turned out, staring had been an inescapable feat.

Rose dabbed her mouth with a cloth napkin and then fingered the fabric contemplatively in her lap. It was dishonest to pretend that Aradia wasn't attractive to her, but why did that disturb her so much? It wasn't a matter of sexuality, that much she knew; so then, was it more a reservation for relationships as a whole, or was it some particular misgiving for the troll? No, there was no issue she had with Aradia. The thought of reentering the dating arena gave her pause, and Rose realized she was afraid of not rejection, but failure.

Failure was the enemy. Besides defaulting to meticulous strategizing, Rose was a perfectionist at heart, and it required some deliberation to settle on what her exact goal was in this instance. Was it to indulge herself and fulfill thoughts fueled by lustful desire? Was it something simpler--a natural inclination for companionship? But wasn't that available already? Even so, the idea to engage in physical intimacy without further reward was unsatisfying--repugnant, even.

"You look as though your wine is poisoned," Aradia interrupted her thoughts quietly.

"Perhaps it is." Rose swung her eyes at her empty glass and studied it with near contempt. Was she so indecisive because of inebriation? Alcohol had been known to make many a soul act disadvantageously, and she was hardly exempt.

"Are you in need of assistance?"

Rose glanced at her companion curiously despite herself, surprised by an undeniable sensuality in the troll's voice, and found herself trapped in Aradia's avid gaze. She licked wine off of her lips and swallowed hard.

"There is no help for me, I'm afraid," she breathed out. Rose set her napkin on her plate and stood, heat blossoming over her face and in her stomach. With some dramatic tone, a wobble in her balance, she pressed a wrist to her forehead and said, "Make the funeral arrangements, Aradia. My time has come."

"Does alcohol defeat humans so swiftly?" Aradia chuckled, rising from her seat and extending a hand to Rose as if to help steady her, but Rose withdrew to the bed and shamelessly flung herself across it.

"Don't trolls also have a weakness to such a drink? I recall there being significant detriment to reason and awareness by means of some sugary concoction," Rose mumbled into silken sheets.

"Yes, although I don't have any personal experience with it myself," Aradia stated. She moved across the room and seated herself on the bed beside Rose, legs crossed and a hand delicately plucking stray blond hairs back into place. "I suppose it is our version of intoxication."

"It's unfair how unaffected you are."

"Shall I request some sweetened beverages to even things for you?"

"No, it wouldn't help," Rose groaned more out of frustration than drunkenness, and rolled herself over to sit up. Her hair, like disturbed hay despite Aradia's efforts, poked out all around her face, and a frown twisted her lips downwards. Her words slurred together slightly as she demanded, "Tell me, Aradia, do you think I'm pretty?"

It almost made Rose jealous, how Aradia managed to keep a cool face.

"Do you mean in a general sense of attractiveness across all humans, or are you asking if I personally find you 'pretty'?"

"Yes. All of that. Both."

Aradia snorted softly and Rose acknowledged that it was the heady wine that had freed her apprehensions about speaking openly, but it was too late to turn back now. Rose wasn't without her own insecurities and those vulnerable spots, bruised by visions of the beautiful troll before her, made her too sore to keep quiet when alcohol flowed through her body.

"I would say you are attractive for a human," Aradia began, tone somewhat preoccupied, but her words came evenly. "You clearly maintain yourself. Your skin is smooth, your hair is even, and you are of a healthy size. Your eyes are unusual, but that is not a fault. They are a beautiful color like a highblood might bleed--like one of your gems. You don't smile much but it is pleasant when you do, and your personality doesn't detract from your physical features."

Rose's brows stooped towards her nose. "Is that good?"

Aradia quirked her lips. "Maybe that's not a very good explanation. But my conclusion is, yes, you are attractive for a human."

"And? What about you?"

"What about me?"

With a pouty face, Rose leaned in. "What about you. Do you think I am pretty?"

Aradia closed the distance enough that her mouth hovered next to Rose's and, voice low, sweeping Rose's heart away, murmured, "What do you think?" And sealed their lips together with a firm kiss.

It might have been romantic had Rose not felt like her head was underwater and her body was a sinking stone. The wine and a full belly were affecting her more with each passing moment. When Aradia pulled away, she shivered, but insisted, "I asked first. Tell me."

"You are a hard one, Rose Lalonde," Aradia sighed as her lips curled inwards slightly.

"I want to hear it."

"Very well. I find you very pretty."

Satisfied with that, Rose approved of Aradia's judgment with a buoyant nod, and promptly flopped backwards onto the pillows, head lolling to the side, breathing slowing to shallow puffs through parted lips.

Sleep pulled her in deeper than the night before, dreams elusive and the night long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Romance is so complicated.


	3. Chapter 3

Rose blinked herself awake and waited for the room to come back into focus before she dared to sit up in bed. Her head ached, her mouth was ashen, and her bladder threatened to burst. Morning was well underway, judging by the angle of light that slanted onto the wall and floor through the window, and Rose dimly wondered what time it was.

She slid out of bed and curled her toes against the wooden floor, and only then, as she shuffled past towards the exit, did Rose realize that her socks and shoes, now neatly organized by the dresser, had been removed. Had Aradia done that? The very thought of the other female made her freeze mid step.

Aradia. The troll was nowhere to be seen. This morning, the table was cleared, no breakfast left behind. The fire had long since put itself to sleep and had been tucked into its ashen bedding. Perhaps Aradia had gone out for a bath again, and breakfast had been cleared to make room for lunch, and things had been tidied up for it; perhaps she had simply slept in that long. Rose palmed at her face and managed to replace that embarrassing thought with recollections of yesterday.

Within the confines of wine and drowsiness, Rose remembered the flirtatious exchange. Heat coated and prickled her skin as she distinctly remembered that they had kissed. Oh, Aradia had definitely bored into her with those ravenous, wolfish yellow eyes--caught her like helpless prey!--but Rose knew that she was the one who had presented her neck by practically demanding a survey of her attractiveness. And Aradia had responded favorably, which was why they had kissed at all, which shouldn't have bothered Rose... but it did.

She _was_ bothered. As Rose stalked through the room, squashing her feet into socks and shoes, she frowned at everything as if anything but she were to blame. She was bothered--not because they had kissed, but because it was the result of her lowering her guard. She had yielded self-control, allowed herself to behave like a witless child; and had she not consequently fallen asleep, and had Aradia not been respectable as a roommate, Rose knew there would have been much more than kissing. Not that she was against that--or _was_ she--or-- _why_ was this so _difficult_ to reason out logically and calmly?!

No sooner than Rose had reached the door that it opened, and she shrieked despite herself. Aradia raised her brows at her and hesitated in the doorway. Though dressed in a poppy-red hoodie and grey slacks, the troll might as well have been naked for the aghast look Rose directed towards her.

"Are you unwell, Rose? Your face is paler than usual."

Rose's mouth worked silently for a moment before she snatched up and flung out the words, "Why did you let me drink?"

"Isn't hydration important for humans?"

"You know what I mean! Why did you let me drink that much wine?!"

"You didn't drink that much, Rose."

"I... It was still too much!"

"Let me in, so we can discuss this with more privacy," Aradia suggested, to which Rose stepped aside and huffed at the wall as the troll entered the room.

"Are you angry with me?"

"No."

"Did the wine make you ill?"

"...No."

"Have I done something wrong?"

" _No!_ "

"Then why are you avoiding eye contact with me as you yell?"

Rose bit her lip. Shame filled her and pressed her almost more than her bladder.

"I have to pee," she muttered, before she slipped out the door, leaving behind a puzzled Aradia.

Once concealed in the bathroom, Rose concentrated on putting her head on straight. What was wrong with her? She ordinarily had a strong hold on composure and intellect. She rarely acted the fool, and she doubted it was the effect of wine alone that had yielded these results. Maybe so much sleep was unwise after all. Or--had they been drugged? Rose stared at herself in the mirror, desperate to regain control of her head, but her mind refused to release racing thoughts of Aradia and what more they could have done in the bedroom.

It was a weakening notion that maybe there was nothing wrong with her beside the fact that her body was communicating the need to fulfill a natural urge. Plenty of people engaged in physical contact. They kissed. They held hands. They--they had sex. She simply hadn't had time for it. The flesh was weak. That was all it was.

The memory of Aradia only laughing when she had asked about the purpose of this trip--Rose pressed her lips together into a thin line and gripped the sink so hard that her knuckles resembled the snow-covered peaks outside.

Perhaps that was it. Aradia seemed so comfortable about what she wanted. Rose was the one who blushed, stammered, and stewed in denial, all the while drowning in thoughts of Aradia's eyes and Aradia's lips and Aradia's touch and--enough was enough. It was something of a disadvantage to be the timid, reserved one, but Rose decided that the issue would never resolve itself through neglect. It was time to face the music, even if it seemed an entire symphony.

Rose had smoothed her hair and washed her face before returning to the room, and she felt put together enough to communicate with Aradia again. In the time she had used the bathroom, the other female had begun eating their midday meal, hovering steam indicating it had just been delivered. Slabs of cornbread poked out of deep bowls of hearty stew, and the smell elicited a greedy growl from Rose's stomach.

"Come eat," Aradia summoned her, a spoonful of food in her mouth.

"I have a question," Rose countered, though she did approach the table. When Aradia flicked her eyes towards her, she inhaled slowly and said, "I want to know _why_ you kissed me last night."

"Is that why you were so flustered earlier?"

"Ye--just answer the question, Aradia!"

Aradia swirled her spoon around in the bowl several times before she abandoned it and shifted in her seat to squarely face Rose. At that, Rose faltered slightly, but willed herself to maintain eye contact once it came to her.

"I'm sorry if I shouldn't have. But you seemed open to it, and I have wanted to, so I did it."

"That's..." That was it? She wanted to, so she just 'did it?!' How did anyone manage to be so impulsive?! But there was an appeal to throwing caution to the wind.

"I must have misunderstood, Rose. I'm sorry. And I--"

She had wanted it.

"What if we had sex," Rose blurted out. Her face had never felt hotter, and Rose was sure that a surge of adrenaline had caused tremors in her hands. Aradia peered at her wordlessly. Rose swallowed a lump in her throat. The other female blinked, and then blinked again. Human eyes fell onto troll hands. And only as she opened her mouth and was about to dismiss what had obviously been a ridiculous notion, did Rose receive a response.

"If you'd like." Aradia sounded so casual about it that Rose could have thrown her through the window.

"I wasn't suggesting the idea without interest!"

"You have been anything but uninterested," Aradia chuckled, and Rose flushed darkly at that.

"Oh. Was I so... obvious?" The sideways looks. Breathing in Aradia's scent. Noticing the redness of her lips. Imagining her touch.

"Oh no, but I was looking."

"You were looking," Rose echoed, a tinge of defeat in her voice. She clutched at the air and studied the table sheepishly.

"Mmm. Have I been too forward? Is this too much by human standards of flirting?"

"N-no. I suppose I am, uh," Rose looked out the window in search of words and seemed to find one. "Rusty."

"And yet so blunt," Aradia teased. But when Rose said nothing and only glowered at the scenery, red-faced, the troll relented quickly. "Well, let us finish eating first. You missed breakfast, and we'll need all the energy we can get."

"Of course," she agreed readily, slipping into a chair, until Rose realized the implications of the statement and paused. "Is... Is troll intercourse... physically strenuous?"

Aradia stifled a laugh long enough to swallow another bite of food. "It can be, but you have nothing to worry about! We are not in quadrants where that is to be expected."

"Oh." Rose spooned stew into her mouth twice before adding, "So we're in a quadrant, then."

"I guess we are," the troll grinned at her.

Lunch went by quickly as excitement for the afternoon agenda was thinly disguised as a needy appetite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After some deliberation, this is how this chapter will end. :) This past week has been crazy, but I wanted to update! There will be one more short chapter and then this will be done.


	4. Chapter 4

GG: how was your trip rose!!! :D  
GG: i hope you spent more time having fun than trying to work!  
GG: because we all know thats something you would do!  
TT: It was more enjoyable than I expected.  
GG: good!  
GG: you DID have fun right?  
TT: Yes. Aradia showed me a good time.  
GG: hehe i bet  
TT: What is that supposed to mean?  
GG: it means she knows how to have fun if she can get you to have fun!  
TT: Oh. Yes.  
GG: rose!!!!  
GG: are you working again??  
GG: you just got back!  
TT: No.  
GG: you sure are taking a while to answer me!  
TT: My apologies. I am admittedly distracted.  
GG: oh thats fine  
GG: i just wanted to hear more details about your trip!!  
GG: what did you two do?  
GG: aradia said she was taking you up into the mountains!  
GG: did you take any pictures?  
TT: I sadly am devoid of photographic evidence. I am, however, able to regale you with appropriate tales of the requested "fun."  
GG: hehe "appropriate"  
TT: Nothing but.  
TT: Unless you are asking for inappropriate details.  
GG: !!!!  
GG: no way rose!!! did something happen??  
TT: Well, I did slip once in the hot springs, but only incurred a slight bruise on my hip.  
GG: rose!!!  
TT: I can assure you that I have since recovered.  
GG: rose...  
TT: I did also attempt to ski.  
GG: skiing????  
TT: Yes. Given that our surroundings were accommodating with all of the snowy mountains, I thought it worth trying something new.  
GG: mountains.  
TT: That's right.  
TT: Am I boring you? I thought you wanted to hear about my trip.  
TT: Is now not a good time?  
GG: rose!!!! youre avoiding the subject and you know it!!!  
TT: I thought we were on subject.  
TT: If the subject was about the trip.  
GG: ugh!! this isnt fair!  
GG: you said there were inappropriate details  
GG: you cant just say that and then not spill the beans!!  
TT: Oh.  
TT: Of course.  
TT: There was wine. I may have had too much.  
GG: oh...   
GG: is that it? you drank too much again?  
TT: I confess my sin, and am duly repentant.  
GG: hehe  
GG: well youre forgiven then, i guess!  
TT: Thank you.  
TT: Did you know Aradia is a skilled kisser?  
GG: rose!!!!!!!!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end. :P

**Author's Note:**

> Returning to writing after a long break. Some impulsive drafts that I refuse to fuss about too much. Enjoy. :)


End file.
